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Rediscover Public Art with Fairmount Park Art Association

Public art is everywhere in Philadelphia. It unassumingly adorns our circles and squares. It rests everywhere from the greenery of Fairmount Park to the tip-top of City Hall. It provides a resting place for weary birds. And, yes, it’s even what we pose next to before triumphantly running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. But when’s the last time you actually connected with the outdoor sculpture that makes the City of Brotherly Love so lovely?

Fairmount Park Art Association seeks to help Philadelphians reacquaint themselves with public art — and introduce newcomers to our vast collection for the first time — with Site Seeing, a monthlong series of events that encourage fun, unique interaction with public art. Oh, and all the events are free, free, free.

First up is An Evening of Tango at the Swann Memorial Fountain (April 5), where you and your dance partner can tango the night away in Logan Circle — and even win prizes if you’ve got the best moves. Newbies, don’t fret: The talented folks at Urban Tango will be on hand for lessons — and even if you’ve got two left feet, watching the Fountain come alive (as we all know, it isn’t really spring in Philadelphia till the water’s turned on!) is just as fun. Click here for more info.

Next, pretend you’re in a real-live, 3D Google Map and head to Ben Franklin Parkway, where giant balloons indicate the best of the grand avenue’s outdoor sculpture. Ambassadors of the Public Art Pathway (April 21 and 28) can answer questions, demonstrate how to use Fairmount Park Art Association’s Museum Without Walls: AUDIO program — and hand out kid-size balloons for the youngest of art appreciators. Click here for more info.

The first of its kind in the U.S., the Sculpture Flashlight Mob (April 25) will help participants see a work of art in a whole new light. The monumental Iroquois sculpture, which sits adjacent to the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s front steps, will be turned into the focus of a unique light performance as visitors create their own lighting effects using their own (or provided) flashlights. Click here for more info.

Finally, the Public Art Bike Tours take serious cyclists and families through variously challenging Fairmount Park routes, spotlighting the lesser-known sculptures that adorn the city greenspace. These tours are so popular, they’ve already sold out — but keep an eye on Museum Without Walls’ website for announcements of additional tours, or click here to download the free map and go exploring on your own.